A comprehensive assessment of fish and other seafood in the Norwegian diet

At the request of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) has conducted an assessment of the nutritional benefits of consuming fish and other seafood, compared with the health risks associated with the intake of contaminants and other undesirable compounds that fish and other seafood may contain.

The consumption of fish and other seafood in Norway differs from the situation in many other countries in that the amount of fish and other seafood consumed is high and the proportion of lean fish is large.

The Norwegian population also eats more fish in the form of cold cuts and spreads since several meals per day consist of open-faced sandwiches.

An overall assessment of the dietary and toxicological actors shows that Norwegians in general should eat more fish and that their fish consumption should include both lean and fatty fish.